Stealing a Hitter's Heart
by AnAngelsWriter15
Summary: "You might act all tough on the outside, Eliot Spencer, but I know you. I love you too much not to know you." -Christina (original character)
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

I wasn't an awkward child… I was just talented in ways that people didn't approve of. That's what my dad used to tell me. He helped me mold my talents so that I became the best of the best! …Well almost the best that is. There are only 2 people better than me.

Firstly, my father, a very respected man in his area of work, taught me everything I know. Many people know him but half those people believe he's an accountant. His real job is a secret I keep hidden. Secondly, my best friend, well more like a sister. Parker. She has another name, but that's another secret I keep close to my heart. A girl who was trained by my father with me and together, we made the unstoppable team.

Now you might be wondering what I mean by 'the best'. I'm not talking about how you would call your dad being 'The Best Dad Ever' or the most inspirational people I know. Nope. We're thieves. We can steal anything and everything.

I'm still learning everyday and training harder but Parker? She's the best of the best. Of course, it's partially because my father taught her but it's also cause she's got natural talent. That's what my Daddy says anyways.

Dad says he found her on the streets, she had tried to pick his pocket but since Dad is known as the World's Greatest Thief, he caught her immediately. My two brothers never knew about her but, being a curious little cat burglar, I found out about her. My Dad might be the best thief, but I see past lies easily.

Something about Parker made me want to be just like her. She wasn't just another girl that I met. She was awkward like me…felt the same way I did about situations. I love her lots…I just haven't seen her for years.

To this date, I'm 22 years old. I'm known as the youngest con woman who ever lived. Now, you could argue that Parker was the youngest if you knew her story. But Parker's the youngest _thief._ There's a big difference in my book.

You see, I'm not just a thief. I do it all. I'm the package deal. Daddy might've trained me to just steal but through my years of running, I've picked up on tips on how to grift, hit, and hack. Hacking's probably my worst but I'm pretty good at grifting and stealing. Hitting's the one I'd love to learn more about though, but not a lot of hitters want to train a young girl who's known for her lies.

It is hard to live alone, to always be running around looking for jobs. But thankfully, I've been saved by THE Eliot Spencer.

_**7:00 PM January 17, 2013**_

_**Witherington's Gallery of Art**_

_**Massachusetts, Boston**_

Christina's heart pounded with excitement as she looked at the beautiful Cézanne painting. _The Card Players_. Even the title sounded expensive. Inside her mind, Christina squealed. This painting had just come into this Gallery and there was a huge party happening here tonight to show off this beautiful 250 million dollar painting. She smiled, "More people, more distractions." She thought to herself.

"What do you think, Adrianna?" A man asked her from behind. She looks over her shoulder and smiles.

"It's beautiful, Mr. Rockwell. Do you mind if I take a closer look? Paul Cézanne is my art inspiration!" She exclaimed, looking at him with a joyful look. He chuckled and nodded, pushing his round gold spectacles up his crooked nose a bit more.

"Of course, my dear! Just be careful! There are sensors all over that painting's frame to keep it from being stolen." He smiled proudly at how well protected his museum was.

'Adrianna' couldn't help but smile to herself. Some people were just so dumb…honestly. They really thought sensors were going to stop her? HA!

"Mr. Rockwell, sir, there's a man demanding that he see you now-" Mr. Rockwell's secretary told him, looking quite flustered.

"Not now, Catherine. Can't you see I'm busy?" He interrupted her, puffing out his chest in his importance.

"Sir, they say they're security in charge of tonight. I checked their badges and everything." Catherine finished, brushing her golden bangs out of her dark emerald eyes.

"Oh…very well. Come along, Adrianna! If you want to be the owner of a museum one day, you'll have to learn everything!" Mr. James Rockwell called behind his shoulder at Christina. She nodded and followed him, having to quicken her pace to keep up with him.

James Rockwell was a large man with brown hair covering his whole head except for where his hair should be. The baldness of his head shone and it made Christina think of polished silver. He had on a very expensive suit, obviously tailored to his size and weight. Under his gold spectacles were two warm brown eyes. He had a smile that made you want to talk to him forever, but Christina knew he wasn't what he seemed to be.

James Rockwell never purchases his paintings before he puts them up in his gallery and if he does, it's through the black market. Rockwell is known in the world of thieves for having some of the best retrieval group in North America…well he did. Someone had told Christina that this retrieval group had gotten 50 times worse since a couple of the members left.

"Ah, Mr. Rockwell!" A man called, clasping his hands together in greeting. "Finally, we meet! I'm Tray Duncan." He smiled, holding out his badge and the man and woman standing behind him did the same. "We're from your security company. We were told to come early and do a quick sweep of the place."

Christina took a glance of the three people standing in front of her. The first, this Tray Duncan, had wavy brown hair, blue eyes, and strong build. He didn't look much like a security guard…a little under muscled. The other two behind him didn't look like security guards either. The woman had brown hair stuck in a ponytail; brown eyes that looked around with complete seriousness and the man had dark skin, short black hair and brown eyes. They all had a sense of familiarity to Christina but she couldn't place it.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Duncan. This is my temporary intern, Adrianna Bones." Mr. Rockwell gestured to Christina and she gave them a friendly smile.

"Maybe they can show me how the security works?" She asked hopefully. After receiving a confused look from Mr. Rockwell she quickly added, "If I'm going to have my own gallery, Mr. Rockwell, I need to know the best security." Christina smiled brightly.

He laughed and the three security guards laughed with him half-heartedly. "Of course. My colleague, Trevor Mullin, will be in charge of you." Tray Duncan said as Trevor stepped forward, shaking Christina's stretched out hand.

"Well, let's begin this security tour." He smiled at her and she returned the smile. Christina waves to Mr. Rockwell before disappearing down the hall with the other three.

She examined the security guards as she followed them, watching their facial expressions and where their eyes travelled. "So how long have you been in security, Mr. Mullin?" Christina asked, giving him an innocent smile.

"2 and a half years." He stated simply.

"Sounds like a fun job. The security here is really top notch." She smiles and follows him down a hallway; looking behind her shoulder to watch the other two disappear into a room.

"Yes, the company I work for only provides the best." He told her.

Silence hung in the air for a moment as Trevor Mullin used his ID card to open the security room.

"I don't like this, Nate." Alec Hardison murmured quietly, talking to the small bud in his ear. "She's all over the place. It'll be hard to watch her and hack the system at the same time."

"Are you saying you can't do it, Hardison?" Nathan Ford's voice buzzed in Hardison's ear.

Hardison almost laughed out loud. "Have you not been working with me? I can do anything, Nate."

"Good. Then do your job discreetly."

Hardison huffs but agrees silently, sitting at the security desk. "Hey Trevor, what's that?" Adrianna asked, pointing to the screen showing the museum's vault.

"The vault. Mr. Rockwell's security is 10 times better there." 'Trevor' told her, typing onto the keyboard and hacking into the gallery's security system.

"Really? He must have something really special there." She said, her voice floating through the air.

"She sounds familiar…" Came Parker's voice through the com. Blocking out Parker's voice, Hardison watched Adrianna walk around the room, looking at all the screens. For a gallery, Hardison was glad they at least had the semi good computers to hack.

"What're you doing?" Christina asked, leaning over his shoulder.

He glanced at her and smiled a bit. "I'm just making sure the security cameras and alarms are set on." He told her. There was no way a pretty thing like her could know about hacking…

Still trying to place where she had heard that voice before, Parker walks around the gallery, looking at the beautiful paintings and restraining herself from stealing anything yet.

"Oooh, Nate! What about-" She started, spotting another famous painting.

"Parker, we're here for the money and the money only. No paintings." Nate told her firmly through the intercom.

"Fine… Are you guys almost done in Rockwell's office?" Parker asked, watching a couple giggle and gaze at paintings together, a bit disgusted.

"Almost. Make sure he stays away from the office, Parker." Sophie told her making Parker sigh.

"I still don't understand why YOU couldn't be the distraction, Sophie." Parker muttered.

"We've told you about 30 times, Parker, Rockwell knows Sophie from one of her…past adventures." A husky country voice growled.

"Well, then why couldn't you be the distraction, Eliot?" Parker insisted, trailing behind Mr. Rockwell slowly, watching him show people around.

"Because I'm the second distraction." Eliot reminded her.

"Oh." Parker said, walking towards James Rockwell and bumping into him on purpose. "Oh I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, leaning down to pick up his papers with him. She reached her hand out quickly and snapped his ID off of his jacket.

"Watch it." Mr. Rockwell then switched from cheery and nice to a bear that got poked in the eye. He glared at her, snatching the important files out of her hand. Her eyes scanned them quickly, seeing statements from the bank and his account balance.

"Sorry." She said again, pocketing the ID and walking out the doors. She nods at Eliot who was sitting in a white convertible. He got out, holding a security file and is wearing his security uniform.

"Phase one complete." Parker smiled to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

_**9:30 PM January 17, 2013**_

_**Witherington's Gallery of Art**_

_**Massachusetts, Boston**_

"Well thanks for showing me around, Trevor." Christina smiled at him. "It was a great tour."

He grinned at her and shrugged "It was nothing. If you ever need someone to help out your computer, I'm your guy."

She smiled and nodded; walking out of the security room and down the hallway they came from. It was almost time for the party to start and Christina needed to make sure every part of her plan was set in.

As she turned to a hallway connecting with the lobby, she heard Mr. Rockwell panicking. "Get them… OUT OF MY GALLERY NOW!" He yelled, glaring at Tray Duncan and the lady with him. They were both being held by one man, his brown hair in a small ponytail and his blue eyes piercing through his glasses, also wearing a security guard uniform.

As the new security guard turned to look at her, Mr. Rockwell turned as well. "Where's the other one?" He asked her, his eyes full of rage.

"What other one, sir?" Christina asked, looking up at him, not fazed at all by his anger.

"The other man who pretended to be a security guard!" He growled at her. "Trevor Mullin!"

Christina shrugged a bit, glancing down the hallway she just came through. "I think he's still in the security room." She told Mr. Rockwell, pointing down the hallway.

"Alright, let's go you two. I'll cuff up the other one when you two are being taken downtown." The security guard said, holding Tray and the woman by their collars and dragging them outside. Christina watched intrigued and followed them outside. She slowed down as they rounded the corner. She could hear them as she leaned back against the wall.

"Gosh, Eliot, do you have to grip so hard?" The woman complained.

"I'm sorry! I'll just loosen my grip and blow our cover!" He hissed at her sarcastically.

"Guys! Hardison finished hacking the computers and he's coming out the back to meet us." Another female voice came out.

Christina stood there, as if her feet were glued to the pavement. That voice sounded so familiar…but…no…it couldn't be…

"Come on, we'll meet him in the back. Eliot, go back inside and carry on the plan." Tray Duncan was saying.

Christina heard the one called 'Eliot' grunt and him starting to walk towards the corner where Christina stood. She quickly bolted for the door and stood inside, examining the closest artwork to the door.

There was something going on here…and of course Christina was curious to know what it was. But Christina needed to get her job done first, and as long as those people didn't interfere with her work, she wouldn't interfere with theirs.

Eliot followed a very stressed Mr. Rockwell into his office. "I'm glad you came with those security documents, Mr. Treasell. I should've asked those imposters for theirs." Mr. Rockwell grumbled, sitting down behind his desk.

"Please, call me Mitchell. Don't worry about those imposters. They have been sent out of this building and your gallery is safe." Eliot told him, his arms folded in front of him. He had already 'escorted' Trevor Mullin out of the building and could already hear Hardison buzzing through the com.

"Make sure to place the bug where he can't see it." Hardison said for about the fifth time in the last 2 minutes.

"I know." Eliot growled into his com, coughing slightly to cover up his voice.

"Well, Mitchell, I hope that the party will go smoothly now that you're here." Mr. Rockwell said, rubbing his spectacles on a small cloth he had produced out of his jacket pocket.

"It will, sir. I'll make sure of it." He smiled and turned, heading for the door, his hand pressing under the table of the desk, sticking the bug on the wood. He could hear Rockwell relaxing into his chair and going on his computer, probably to find some more art he could steal from poor families.

"So what am I supposed to do while we wait for all these guests to arrive?" Eliot asked, walking down the halls of the gallery.

"That's simple. Be the security guard." Nate responded and Eliot hinted a smirk in his voice.

_**10:30 PM January 17, 2013**_

_**Witherington's Gallery of Art**_

_**Massachusetts, Boston**_

Eliot stood by the doors of the art gallery, scanning people for 'dangerous weapons' and checking people's bags. He smiled and winked at a couple cute girls who passed by who just giggled and tried to keep his gaze.

Women. Such easy marks but at the same time, the most difficult marks in his life. Eliot wasn't ready to have a full on relationship yet…He wasn't sure if he'd ever be ready.

"Uh guys?" Hardison's uneasy voice cracked through the com. "I think there's another hacker in the museum."

"What? I thought your hacking had like a protection thingy." Parker answered.

"Protection thingy? Really? Have you not been listening to anything I've been trying to teach you? Girl-" Hardison started.

"Hardison. Who's hacked into the museum?" Nate asked firmly.

"Uh…There's no information pulling up. Who ever it is, he hacked my hacking and blocked me out fully. I can't access anything." Hardison said and Eliot heard the clicking of his keyboard, knowing Hardison was trying to fix it.

"Dammit Hardison!" Eliot grunted, checking the next guest and gesturing him to go on through.

"I'm sorry! Would you like to be in my position and do all this stuff that you labeled 'unimportant' and 'geeky'?"

"Isn't there some way we could figure out who this is?" Sophie asked.

"I guess I could try to-"

"Yes, do that. And do it fast. The minute you know his name, find everything you can about him." Nate said quickly, trying to avoid all the geek talk.

Eliot closed the doors as the crowd all entered the building. He heard a woman talking to everyone about the painting.

"Isn't it beautiful?" The woman was saying, clearly moved by the painting.

Eliot smirked to himself. She was a beautiful woman. Long black hair running down the middle of her back, shining brown eyes that seemed to just capture you in the moment, and she was clearly fit. She looked like the kind of girl to do yoga every Thursday night with her 'girlfriends'.

He walked around the crowd, looking for anyone who was trying to dismiss themselves from the group. After the lady finished talking, everyone dispersed to walking around the rooms, looking at all the paintings.

"I'm in position." Parker told them. She was supposed to be stationed in the air vents above Mr. Rockwell's office. Every single secret he had was on that laptop that he kept under a highly guarded room and only Parker could get into it.

"Alright, Eliot that's your cue. Keep Mr. Rockwell under your watch until Parker's done. This is an easy job, guys, play it smooth." Nate was saying as Eliot made his way across the room. He smiled seeing Mr. Rockwell next to the beautiful guide.

"Ah! Mitchell, I want you to meet my temporary intern." Mr. Rockwell grinned, introducing them. "This is Adrianna Redfern. Adrianna, this is our new head of security, Mitchell."

The girl called Adrianna turned to see him and smiled slightly. "A pleasure to meet you." She said in a sweet British accent that Eliot hadn't noticed before.

"The pleasure's mine." Eliot grinned, leaning down to kiss his hand.

Expecting her to blush or at least be a little flattered, Eliot looked up but was immediately disappointed. She gave him a stiff smile, pulling her hand away slowly. "What happened to the other security guards?" She asked, looking straight into his eyes.

"Imposters." Mr. Rockwell spat, suddenly angered at the memory. "Mitchell here came just in time to catch them and then he sent them off to jail where they belong."

Obviously amused, Adrianna giggled. "Of course. The hero of the day." She smiled at Eliot and turns back to the artwork. "It would've been a tragedy if they had gotten away with one of these beautiful pieces."

"Yes ma'am." Eliot nodded and turned to continue talking to Mr. Rockwell about his other paintings.

This job was easy, just like Nate said. Get the information and get out. Simple con, nothing tricky. At least, that's what he thought…

_**11:00 PM January 17, 2013**_

_**Witherington's Gallery of Art**_

_**Massachusetts, Boston**_

Christina excused herself from the small chat with her temporary boss and the handsome young security guard to help some other people before going to the washroom to freshen up. She wasn't used to men flirting with her. Half the time they were trying to kill her or they were just laughing at her.

She walked her way across the room, giving little bits of the history of each art piece to anyone who would listen. She could keep that security guard, Mitchell, watching her and she wanted to seem casual. She finally got to the further hall and walked down it, humming quietly.

It was now or never to get that painting…


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

_**11:05 PM January 17, 2013**_

_**Witherington's Gallery of Art**_

_**Massachusetts, Boston**_

1 minute…

1 minute to get it…

They didn't even realize it was gone until now.

Christina smiled to herself, holding the painting rolled up in a container close to her body as she crawled through the air vents. She could hear the gasps and screams of those who had noticed the empty frame back in the lobby. It had been so easy.

Temporary black out…Temporary loss of all security…It had just been way too easy.

"I need a challenge for my next lift." She thought to herself as she pushed herself through the vents on her stomach. She pushed on the grate covering her exit and held it with her tiny fingers; slowly slipping out and doing a quiet back flip before landing on her feet on the ground. She places the grate down on the floor, looking at her surroundings. This was the room right next to the exit…she was almost home free…

But this just seemed too easy…too easy for comfort.

Christina walked out of the room quietly and turned to the doors to her right. Between the doors was a small piece of fabric, just thick enough to create a wedge without setting off another alarm.

She heard a cough behind her. "Adrianna was it?" A husky country voice called out to her.

Christina smiled to herself, putting the painting down. "Michael?" She asks airily.

He smirked at her as she turned around to face the tall muscular man she had just met moments ago. "It's Mitchell actually." He said while putting one leg behind the other. She looked at him and in two seconds knew he wasn't a security guard. Most security guards don't have extreme combat training like this guy.

"Mitchell really? Or Spencer? Eliot Spencer." She smirked; walking around him in a slow circle, ready to defend herself if he decided to strike.

He looked surprised and seemed to hesitate for a moment, almost listening for something. "How do you know my name?" He growled at her.

She laughed, "Well clearly you don't know mine. Guess I'm just a smart girl." Christina smirked, watching the rage flare into his eyes.

He swung at her, an expertly executed hit. But Christina was too fast for him. Even though she wasn't exactly a hitter, she knew how to keep moving. She ducked under his hit and swung her leg out, kicking him from under his legs faster than he could finish his swing.

"See you later, Eliot." She winked, flipping over his body before he had time to react and running out the door with the stolen painting.

_**9:36 AM January 18, 2013**_

_**Nate's Place**_

_**Massachusetts, Boston**_

"How the hell did she know my name?" Eliot growled at Hardison from the kitchen table.

"How the hell should I know?" Hardison snapped back, pulling a bottle of Orange Soda out of the fridge. "You people think just cause I'm a genius with computers I know every single detail going on in the Internet?"

Parker nodded, smiling innocently.

"Sarcasm, Parker, that was sarcasm." Hardison said, rubbing his temple.

"Oh. Well, I just find it funny that this girl beat the poop out of both of you." Parker smiled. "I mean, she hacked Hardison's security firewall thingy and she made Eliot look like a little school girl."

"Hey, she stole a painting before you could even finish your job at Rockwell's office." Sophie added, seeming frustrated.

Parker stuck her tongue out at Sophie, pouting like a child.

"Tell me again why we can't just use the security videos to get her profile?" Nate asked Hardison, sitting on the couch.

"Whoever hacked me yesterday completely wiped all the video feeds. We have absolutely nothing." Hardison answered, sitting down next to Nate.

"Isn't this a good thing? I mean, without that painting, Rockwell loses money right?" Parker asked, sipping a glass of water.

"Yes but that painting belongs to a family who didn't get the right amount of money for it. We have to find the painting and give it back to the families, Parker." Nate says, putting on his thinking face. "Maybe, Eliot, since you spent the most time with this girl, you could work with Parker to make a profile of this girl. We can match the profile to whoever's on Hardison's database."

Eliot nodded and Parker grabbed his hand, dragging him over to the kitchen table, pulling a blank sheet of paper over with a bunch of colourful pencil crayons. Eliot groaned and sat down, leaning into his seat.

"That might be a bit hard for Eliot. He doesn't remember any of the girls he's been with." Sophie teased, smirking at her favourite country boy.

He gave her a glare and looks at Parker. "She's got black hair that goes roughly to the centre of her waist, hazelnut eyes with just small specks of blue near the centre. She's a small girl but she's got the figure to be a thief or a hitter or whatever she is." Eliot said, looking at Parker's hand make a sketch, glancing at Sophie with a successful smirk.

For an hour and a half Eliot and Parker argued about the way the drawing looked, Eliot trying to correct it and Parker defending her own drawing. But after that hour and a half, they finally finished it.

"Looks just like her…Here you go, Hardison." Sophie said after they had all given it a look.

Hardison took the photo and went to work on his laptop, scanning the photo and letting the computer run for any matches.

"Are you _sure_ that's what she looked like?" Parker asked, looking at her drawing almost amazed.

"Yes, Parker." Eliot growled, not liking to be questioned.

"But…like you're 100% sure?" She asked again.

"Yes, Parker! She looked like that! That stupid girl who got away from all of us." Eliot yelled, plopping himself down on a couch.

Parker holds the photo and stays quiet for a moment. "Then I know who this is…Hardison, look up the name: Christina Leach."

"You've got to be kidding me." Sophie sighed, looking at the photo of the mysterious daughter of the World's Greatest Thief.

"So you're telling me that Archie didn't just train you? He trained his own daughter to be a thief?" Hardison looked over at Parker who was smiling brightly.

"Well it makes sense doesn't it? The only one who could get past all of us is the Leach himself. But since Archie's in retirement, it's no surprise that Christina's the con artist."

"Alright. So how do we find her?" Nate asked as Hardison pulled up 2 photos of Christina Leach.

"That's just it…you don't. These are the only two photos of her besides fake IDs and driver's licences from the last 2 years." Hardison explained, pointing a small laser at the first photo, which was blurred and extremely out of focus. "This was taken in Rome a year ago. Someone was taking a photo next to the Colosseum and they got her in it too." He pointed to the next one, a photo of Christina and the Russian president eating lunch. "This was taken by some paparazzi who were stalking the president in Russia and even in this photo, her back is to the camera."

Parker smiled brightly, clapping happily. "My girl's all grown up and conning people all over the world!" She said excitedly.

"That's not a good thing, Parker!" The rest of the team cried in unison, Eliot glaring at her.

"Hey, I think it's a good thing. Besides, we could use another member on our team." Parker pouted slightly.

"Excuse me? What do you mean another member?" Nate asked, turning to look at her.

She shrugged. "It's not fair! 3 guys, 2 girls… I think we should even it out by asking her to join the team."

"No!" Eliot grumbled, his arms folded across his chest.

"You're just mad cause a pretty girl kicked your ass." Parker teased, smirking.

"Well, I for one agree with Parker. I think it'd be nice to have another girl around who isn't mentally crazy." Sophie said, glancing at Parker who was doodling across the drawing she made.

"Look! I gave Christina a unicorn horn." Parker snorted.

Sophie looked at Nate in a begging manner. "Honestly, Nate, I think this girl would be a great asset. If you can't beat them, join them! Or in this case, have her join us!"

"No, we don't need another member. I think what Nate says is right." Eliot said firmly.

"I think we should ask her to join." Nate responded immediately.

"What the hell is wrong with you, man? Why are you always so wrong!?" Eliot got up and ran his fingers through his hair. "I mean, this girl could completely ruin us!"

"I think she's kinda pretty." Hardison smiled to himself, which Parker responded by throwing a banana at his head.

"Hey! She's like my little sister! So watch it." Parker glared.

"Well, even if I did agree with this, _which I don't_, how would we even find this maniac?" Eliot asked, still glaring at everyone.

"Easy. I call her." Parker smiled happily, holding her phone out for everyone to see.

"You have her on your phone?" Hardison asked.

"Well it's only the number that we swore to keep as kids. Just in case one of us needed the other." Parker explained, smiling brightly like a kid in a candy store.

"Give her a call for me, Parker. Ask her to come to the bar tomorrow night…" Nate said, looking at the photo of Leach's daughter.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

_**10:00 PM January 19, 2013**_

_**John McRory's Place**_

_**Massachusetts, Boston**_

Christina sat in a booth, drinking a small shot of whiskey, reading a book. She could hear the different conversations going around her and even with a quick scan of 2 seconds, she could tell everyone's stories.

She was waiting for someone…there wasn't a big crowd in this bar so it shouldn't be hard to find her… But then again…Parker was always hard to find.

"You know, you could've just said hello like anyone else." Christina said out loud, smiling when she feels the person in the booth behind her tensing.

"How'd you know?" Came Parker's voice, and she shuffled from her booth into the seat across from Christina.

"Because I know you, Parker." Christina laughed, smiling at her best friend.

Parker smiled and Christina returned it. The bond between the two of them that no one could break, it just wasn't possible.

"So tell me again why I'm here? You said you were in need of my assistance?" Christina smiled brightly, always up for a challenge.

"Yeah…um…but it's not going to be like your regular jobs…" Parker said, almost uncomfortably.

"What do you mean?" Christina instantly frowned…something wasn't right. After all these years, Christina wasn't even sure if Parker was still stealing.

"Well, you see. She's one of the good guys now." Christina turned around quickly, surprised to see Tray Duncan standing in front of her.

"Wait…so you all do this for no money?" Christina asked them confused.

"Yes ma'am!" Parker smiled happily. "We're like Santa…but all year round."

Christina and Nate stared at Parker, as if she was growing an elephant trunk as they spoke.

"What? I'm just saying." Parker murmured, sipping her beer.

"Basically, we help people who have no where else to turn to. We get them what they want from the big people who take it from them." Nate explained to Christina.

"Oh. So why do you need me if you're not stealing?" She asked, frowning slightly.

"We thought you'd like to join us. You know, be one of the good guys."

Christina almost laughed, her frown turning into a smirk. "Sorry, I don't work with a team. I might work with a partner, but no teams."

"Well…if you change your mind…" Nate slid a small card in front of Christina. "Call me." He smiled at her, getting up.

"What? That's it? You're just...what about the convincing and the whole…bribing thing!" Parker pouted.

"She's a tough case, Parker. If she doesn't want help us, we can't make her. At least with you, I could've just shown you a dollar bill and you would've come anyways." Nate said, walking away.

"Sorry, Parker." Christina said, standing up. "I just…You know me. I can't…" She sighed.

"Well…think about it alright?" Parker asked hopefully, silently pleading with her.

Christina nodded and hugged Parker quickly before disappearing out of the bar.

"So much for that idea." Parker frowned, walking away.

__**3:25 PM February 5, 2013**_

_**Unknown Location**_

_**Massachusetts, Boston**_

For weeks, Christina ignored Parker's constant texts that came everyday:

"_Did you think about it?"_

"…_WHY ARENT YOU ANSWERING ME"_

"_I think you should join us…"_

"_Eliot thinks so too… well everyone but Eliot does…"_

Christina sighed, reading the texts with regret. She had always wanted to work with a team.

She tried working with Marcus Starke's team but…that ended very badly. She shuddered at the memory as she did her daily work out.

To be a thief means to be like a cat, stealthy and sneaky. To be stealthy and sneaky, you have to be in shape and relaxed.

Christina criss-crossed her legs, closing her eyes as she took deep breaths, relaxing her mind. She was in a small underground room, more like a cave if she thought about it hard enough. It was big enough to hold all of her equipment and the things that made her feel at home.

Hearing her phone buzz made Christina jump. "Parker again…" She murmured to herself. She waited for more texts to come and frowned when it just stopped at the one buzz. Opening her eyes, Christina looked down to her left to see her phone beside her, the screen brightly lit.

"One job. Get in, and then get out. $10,000"

Christina smirked a bit, knowing who the unknown number represented. This is how she always got her jobs. They would tell her when and where without her responding once.

"57 York Drive, Mass. Boston. Grand piano. Black bag. Family is home."

"Bring to regular drop off place tomorrow. 1:00 sharp."

So…they wanted her to steal what was in the grand piano…hm…

Christina responded with a simple "Yes." and pocketed her phone. She went to her computer, quickly searching up the house and the family that lived there.

Her mouth fell open. Obviously she should be getting paid more for this job! Her employer wanted her to steal from the Bambardo family? The entire house would be loaded with security. The thought of this made Christina smile mischievously.

Not an easy job…but definitely a fun one.

As Christina researched the family, she found out more than she had already known. The Bambardos were only known because Mr. Todd Bambardo was the Head at a big phone company.

Definitely not as dangerous as sneaking into a federal government office, but the same amount of security, Christina thought to herself. Mr. Bambardo was rumoured to be working on a new smartphone that was even better than the newest iPhone and Samsung put together!

Christina found blueprints of the house, biting her lip when she realized how much security was there. Even if she got past the guards, the whole house was under video and lasers. She sighed, finding the place where the piano was most likely to be and began to plan her way in and out of the Bambardo house…

_**9:20 PM February 5, 2013**_

_**Outside of the Bambardo House**_

_**Massachusetts, Boston**_

Christina watched the house, marking down mentally when the guards changed posts. Every hour… if she could make it up to the trees near the balcony, away from the security guards, she could get in easily.

Smiling to herself, Christina headed down to the house, wearing all black including a small black backpack. She walked down the hill she had seated herself on for hours, waiting for the right moment to sneak in. When she got to the bottom of the steep hill, she snuck to the bushes, using the darkness of night to protect her.

Crawling to the tree, Christina grabbed a rock and threw it in the other direction, catching all the attention of the nearby security guards.

"Probably just a racoon or squirrel." One of the men stated.

"Maybe we should look just in case…" The other murmured, turning his back to where she was. Christina smirked. Honestly…security guards are so stupid…

She scaled her way up the tree and pulled herself across one of the branches. Halfway up the branch, she realized it didn't stoop its way onto the balcony like she had hoped.

Cursing under her breath, Christina jumped off the branch, reaching her hands out to grab the balcony bars. "Dang it!" She hissed, her hands hitting the bar but sliding off of it and landing on the balcony floor.

"Last time I ever do a job without grifting my way in…" She muttered to herself.

"Been quiet all day?" A voice asked from under her. Christina glanced down and saw the two guards walking around the corner.

"Mostly." The other responded as they positioned themselves right under her dangling body.

Christina looked back up and reached for the top bar, grasping it hard and pulling herself up and over the balcony, landing on her feet quietly.

"The easy part's over", She thought, kneeling down on one knee and using her expertise to pick the lock. She heard the click and slid it open ever so slightly. Knowing there was no alarm system on the door, Christina knew there had to be something else protecting this entrance. She brought out a small can from her backpack, shook it and sprayed it into the small gap between the door and the wall.

For a moment, there was nothing but light smoke. Then, Christina could see small thick red lines, shooting across the whole doorway making an X pattern.

Smirking, Christina slipped into the doorway, standing so close to the lasers; she could feel the heat against her skin. She smiled, looking at the bright red laser in front of her eyes. As if by instinct, Christina slid through the blockage of lasers easily, her body bending and moving in every way she wanted.

Escaping through every booby trap Mr. Bambardo had laid out for a thief like herself, she found herself standing right next to the piano, eager to find the black bag. She looked around the piano, glancing underneath it, hoping she was being as quiet as she hoped.

Suddenly the lights flickered on and Christina froze where she was, hidden behind the piano from where the light switch was.

"Looking for something?" Asked a very cocky annoying voice.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

_**9:57 PM February 5, 2013**_

_**Inside the Bambardo House**_

_**Massachusetts, Boston**_

Christina growled as the two men who caught her dragged her along the long hallways and large staircase of the house.

"I wasn't _looking_ for anything." She muttered to Eliot, rolling her eyes.

"Check it out. Look who we found." Through Christina's countless hours of researching Parker's team, she found out 'Trevor' was really Alec Hardison. Alec smirked as he pulled her into a small room where 3 other people were surrounding a laptop.

"Christina!" Parker squealed, hugging her friend.

"Please. Get. Off." Christina said, forcing a small smile. "What're you guys doing here?" She frowned, glaring at Eliot who looked rather proud he had caught her.

"Same thing as you. But we're fighting against you." Nate said, turning around in his chair to face her.

Christina frowned, glancing quickly at the computer screen behind them to see information on the Bambardos.

"I told you, they're the best that's out there. Aside from you and Archie of course." Parker smiled proudly, hugging Alec. "This is Hardison, that's Sophie and you already know Nate and Eliot." Parker introduced them all, pointing to each member of the team.

Christina gave them a small forced smile and Eliot stood in the corner glaring at her.

"Eliot, stop acting like a child and go watch with the guards." Nate called, staring at the computer screen.

With a grunt, Eliot pulled on a black jacket and headed for the door. As he passed her, Christina stuck out her tongue at him childishly and he did the same to her surprise.

"Sophie, off to your grifting." Nate said, nudging the brunette. She nodded and smiled at Christina.

"Nice to have you on the team!" She smiled brightly and headed outside, fixing her hair as she went.

"I'm not-" Christina started, the door closing before she could finish. "On the team." She finished, rolling her eyes. "So while you guys do your little team work, I'm going back to my job alright?" She said casually, reaching for the door handle.

"Ah ah ah!" Nate called out, holding up his hand to stop her, not bothering to even turn around. "Not yet. I think they're here for you." He said, gesturing to the computer, showing her a live feed of the security cameras.

"Why didn't you disable those?" Parker asked Christina, tilting her head a bit.

She shrugged. "I was gonna come get them after the job was done." She told Parker, staring at the 4 men who had just entered the house, faces covered by ski masks.

"Ski masks? So unoriginal." Christina mumbled, rolling her eyes. "I should leave then…if they're here for me, I don't want to get caught."

"Just wait." Nate said impatiently, still staring at the computer screen. Christina pouted childishly; there was something about this Nate guy that made her listen. He just seemed to be looking out for her…

As Hardison took a seat next to Nate, they all watched the screen as Eliot tapped one of the men on their shoulder and punched them out as soon as they turned around.

"Why is he defending me? I thought he hated me." Christina huffed, crossing her arms stubbornly. She didn't need someone to defend her. She could've easily slipped away from those guys.

Parker smiled at Christina, her blonde ponytail swishing around as she moved. "Eliot doesn't hate you. He just doesn't like you." She said as if that explained everything.

"Thanks, Parker." Christina laughed softly, watching Eliot completely kicking their butts. The last guy stood nervously, looking at his teammates on the ground knocked out. He pulled out a gun and Eliot didn't look surprised at all.

Christina looked away from the computer to look around the small room.

"I'm gonna go… I have to find that bag before my employer freaks out at me tomorrow." She said, walking backward into the door.

"Why don't you take Eliot with you? He's done helping us. He could protect you if anyone decides to follow you home." Hardison offered, looking over at Nate for approval.

Nate nods, his eyes still focused on the computer screen.

"He's a bit creepy…" Christina whispered to Parker about Nate, waiting for him to blink his eyes. "He can come with me if he can catch up. I still need that bag though."

"That bag is filled with drugs…Bad drugs that could land you years in jail…Drugs you shouldn't be caught with." Nate said firmly, turning to look at her.

"I already told them I'd accept the offer. If I show up there without that bag, it'll one, ruin my reputation, and two, won't let me get paid." She pouted, crossing her arms.

"What do you need the money for anyways?" Hardison asked, looking at her curiously.

She shrugged. "I dunno. Retirement money. I like money." She informed him, Parker beaming from next to Hardison.

"You're so much like me." She said, a hand over her heart, proud.

Christina smiled. "I'm getting that bag. You can tell Eliot to lay off. I'll be fine. I'm a big girl, can take care of myself." She smirked and ran out the door faster than Nate could come up with a response.

Slipping into the living room, she shot a smirk over at the security camera and quickly found the black bag covered by the piano's closed lid.

She could hear Eliot grumbling as he came down the hallway, probably sent by Nate to look for her. She quickly slipped out of the living room, disappearing out of the window that the other men had left open. Christina smiled proudly to herself, running away from the house and escaping into the darkness.

As Christina ran, she smirked to herself, thinking about how lost Eliot must be feeling. She looked behind her to check for any unwanted company as she headed towards her house.

Suddenly, she bumped into something…well _someone_. "You really are such an easy target to follow." Eliot's low voice came from in front of her and she huffed.

Christina looked up at Eliot Spencer, frowning. "Why are you here? I don't need your protection and you aren't getting the bag either."

"I'm not here for you or your stupid bag." Eliot glared, his arms folded over his chest. "Nate sent me."

"You do whatever Nate tells you to?" She smirked a bit. "I thought the 'Great Eliot Spencer' did what he wanted unless he was getting paid or laid." She laughed, walking past him.

Unfortunately, he walked with her, smirking. "Eliot Spencer does what he wants. What he wants is to help people. So that's what I'm doing." He shrugged, following her down an alley. "Where are we going?"

"Well I was _going_ to go home. But now that you're here, I can't. My house is very private." She told him, walking along the empty road.

"Why bother with the privacy?" He asks, looking ahead instead of looking at her.

"Because I don't like people snooping through my life and I don't like questions being asked about me." She said firmly, rolling her eyes. "You can go. We're like 10 minutes away from my house." She told him, turning and stopping, her arms folded over her chest.

He smirked over at her. "I can't leave you, sorry. It's Nate's orders."

"I thought you said you did what you wanted." She smirked back. "So you _want_ to be with me." She smiled proudly, walking ahead as he paused to gather his thoughts.

"I didn't say that." He growled as he caught up with her.

"Yes, I know. But it's intended." She laughed at how mad he got and headed home, not caring at the moment if he knew where she lived. She was tired and wanted sleep.

"You live here?" He asked a bit surprised as they entered a short old looking building.

"It's not much, but it's home." She smiled a little, not used to having guests. She gestured for him to follow her as she unlocked the door quickly, using a ten-digit code keypad and a retinal scanner.

"Wow," is all Eliot said, entering the house. From the outside, it didn't look like much. Just an abandoned house covered in growing vines and weeds.

On the inside, it looked as if millions had just been poured out into the room. It looked like all the main rooms of a house crammed into one. Christina smiled back at Eliot as she went to the large silver fridge, taking out a pitcher of what looked like lemonade and two glasses from the cupboards.

"No beer?" Eliot asked, disappointed.

"Sorry, Eli." She smirked a bit, giving him a nickname. "No alcohol in here." She shrugged. "Keeps me aware of my surroundings." She goes over to the couch, which was facing a large screen on the wall, and plops down on it.

"I can't stay." He said firmly, ignoring the little nickname.

"So first you won't leave me alone, and now you're just going to ditch?" She asked, pretending to be offended. "How rude."

"I've got work." He grumbled, finishing off the drink in one gulp and headed for the door.

"Why does Nate want me on the team?" She asked suddenly as he touched the doorknob.

Eliot looked back at her, seeing her looking as if she had totally zoned out. "I don't know. Why don't you ask Parker?" He shrugged, a bit moodily.

" 'Cause I know she'll just tell me something sweet to try to get me to join. You don't like me. You'll tell me the truth." Christina looked up at him, holding the glass of lemonade in her hands.

He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking for a moment. "Guess he just thought you have skills."

"What do you think?" She asked, watching him…almost reading him.

"I think you've got skills but you're a troublesome thief who's nothing but a child." Eliot answered in a quick monotone voice. "I've got to go." He turned to the door again before she could say a word and disappeared out of the house.

Christina sat in silence for a while, listening to the quiet winds of the night. "I'm not a child." She said after a bit, realizing what he had said, pouting to herself.


End file.
